A Sound Of Thunder

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

“The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury

• another of Bradbury’s short stories that is set in the future and brings up the effects of technology on society
• Written in 1951, this short story reflects the arrival of the television into American homes in the 1950s.

“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury

• a futuristic short story that deals with the consequences of advancing technology
• Students can look for instances of foreshadowing and find themes that overlap with “A Sound of Thunder,” such as The Complexity of Nature and The Danger of Unrestrained Technology.

Ray Bradbury and the 1950s

• Although this article focuses primarily on Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, its information on the overlap between the historical context of the 1950s and Bradbury’s written works is relevant to “A Sound of Thunder.”

Other Student Resources

The Twilight Zone Episode 100: “I Sing the Body Electric” (1959)

• This episode, written by Ray Bradbury, contains themes present in many of his written works, including “A Sound of Thunder,” such as the effects of technology.